Philosophy
of Assessment
“A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original
dimensions.”
- Anonymous
Students learn in many different ways and
have many different experiences (prior knowledge) that contribute to their
learning. My job is to bring forth new information, make connections to that
prior knowledge, actively engage each student, and assess what they have
learned. I believe assessment drives instruction and there are many
methods of assessment.
One major task
of mine is to determine how each student I have works and learns best.
There are several different
ways children learn and discovering that leads to more success in the
classroom and in life. Assessment is an important piece of education, and
with proper assessment, students are able to achieve at the highest
level. I believe students need to be aware of how they are assessed and
that there are no surprises. Students will know upfront how each assignment
will be assessed.
Some methods of assessment:
•observation
•checklist •tests & quizzes
•peer
assessment •conference -multiple choice
•performance tasks •academic choice -matching
-binary choice
-short answer
-essay
Learning
the information is extremely important, but something that supersedes simply
learning, is the art of reflection. To
truly understand a concept is to reflect on that knowledge. Internalizing the concepts and reflecting on
how it was learned, how you felt while learning(affective assessment), and
making connections to those concepts are what students are doing in all areas
of instruction. Finding meaning and
significance with the concepts learned in school are going to bring much more
insight and overall satisfaction to students.
I feel when students reflect on the concepts and their learning, they
are using higher levels of thinking. For
students to move their thought processes from concrete to abstract is the goal
of every educator and parent.
|
Subject Area |
How it is Assessed |
When it is Assessed |
|
Spelling |
|
|
|
Reading |
|
|
|
Writing |
|
|
|
Math |
Tests, quizzes, performance tasks |
End of sections and chapters |
|
Science |
Tests, quizzes, performance tasks |
Throughout unit |
|
Life,
Social, Behavioral Skills |
Teacher observation |
Formative (ongoing) |
|
Social
Studies (Mrs. Primo) |
Tests, quizzes, performance tasks |
End of lessons and chapters |